🌲 🤧 Pollen puffed out run 🙄

At first I couldn’t quite work out what was wrong with me on my run this morning.

Something wasn’t quite right...... I had kept hydrated, so my legs were feeling good, not heavy like last time. It was cold, breezy and a little overcast, but I wasn’t too hot and felt I had my layers right, so that wasn’t it..... 🤔

I turned down the quiet track, that leads towards the woodland route that I had planned for this morning, and that’s when it happened.....

As I ran I started coughing, feeling a little out of breath. By the time I got to the top of the slight rise, where I have to cross another country road before I head into the woods, I was reaching for the tissues 🤧.

I couldn’t quite work out why it was all feeling so hard. My breathing was all over the place and I couldn’t find a rhythm. I slowed down my pace to navigate some particularly squelchy sections of track and then I got into the area of woodland that is dominated by tall majestic pine trees, my favourite place 🌲 🌲 🌲 .

Another slight incline here and for the first time I thought about slowing to a walk, but I knew it wasn’t far to the top, so pressed on. As the path levelled out my breathing got a little easier. I headed down a gentle incline to the dismantled railway bridge beyond.

The woodland changes again here as the ground levels out once more and birch, alder and hazel trees (big clue Delly) intersperse with the pines. After yet another pause to blow my nose 🤧 my eyes began to stream, got all blurry and started to itch - not great when you are wearing contact lenses - I must have looked a picture.

My run was really starting to feel like hard work at this point 😬 and I considered walking the rest of the way home. It was the sight of two very bouncy chatty runners coming in the opposite direction that made me pull up my big girls pants (thanks Mummycav) and get on with it. And it was then that the penny dropped 🙄 .

Being a relatively new hay fever sufferer, it takes me a while to recognise the signs. When it first started two years ago it felt like I had flu (sinus headaches, scratchy throat, runny nose). I was two weeks into feeling pretty rotten and never for once considered that I had hay fever, when by chance I heard something on the radio about the early start to the pollen season. I had always thought hay fever was a summer thing, not something that can start as early as March. So I am obviously susceptible to the tree pollen 🌲 🤧.

Now home, I have rooted out the remnants of last years medication and started my regimen of antihistamines and nasal spray in the hope that my allergy is a little more controlled for my next outing.

In the end I managed a 3.6k run. Not as far as I had hoped for, but up a fraction on my previous run. A little interruption in my aim to increase by 10% over my last run in my quest to get back to 5k, but I’ll take it.

Well then, hay fever season is underway here in the South Downs. To my fellow sufferers, I hope you are all stocked up and ready to go? Apparently running around midday is easier as the count is lower than the morning and afternoon, but that’s easier said than done when you have to schedule work and the imminent return of the school run into your day. Once I’m dosed up I can usually manage fine but need plenty of tissues!!

Happy running folks 🌲 ☀️ 🌷 🤧 😊 🏃🏼‍♀️

[GailXrunning]

Best wishes for the coming season. That you diagnosed the problem so swiftly is good though.

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Oh dear that sounded difficult. Now you know what it is though you'll be good to go on the next one. It does sound like a lovely route though....

[Hidden in reply to Fionamags]

I just couldn’t believe how long it took me to realise 🙄 duh!

Yes, it is a lovely route. I just need to get the old sniffles and breathing sorted out and then I’ll enjoy it again!

[Timotea Graduate10]

Oh groansville! I get the summer version which is hideous although have now got prescription stuff after the OTC ones failed to make a dent. Hope you feel better soon.

[Hidden in reply to Timotea]

I seem to just be affected by the trees. It’s a nuisance but manageable. 🤗

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

I guessed quite quickly and was muttering hope you got some Loratadine at home, my eyes stream and my sinuses block but I’m full of Loratadine to ease the psoriasis itching so haven’t noticed yet Great that you got out though and the south downs are a special place

[Hidden in reply to SueAppleRun]

Yes, that’s just what I take. Seems to work better for me than the one beginning with a “c” - I can’t remember its name.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Hidden]

Cetirizine I’ve not taken that but know people who do, let’s hope yours soon makes a difference

[Rennur Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

You can get cetirizine cheap in Lidl or Poundland.

[limberlou Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I tend to use one of them one year and the other the next.

[Rennur Graduate10]

Watch out for those pine trees next month, unless you are lucky with them. Dose yourself up and you'll be fine. I take them year round as there's usually something making me snotty.

[Hidden in reply to Rennur]

Thanks for the tip! 😊

[Juliet202 Graduate10]

I’ve also noticed in the past week an increase in symptoms ! And now some blossoms are out. I’m also a relatively recent hayfever sufferer - about 3 or 4 years - and it’s now year round - apparently mulchy leaves and damp soil also get to me ! And it affects my breathing - I’m going to blame my reduced VO2 max score on hayfever ! (Or it could by that I just completed my first non-stop 6k today after a few months of ‘jeffing’ to higher distances - and a short injury break - and 6k non stop was challenging !!). Nah. Hayfever 😜

[Hidden in reply to Juliet202]

Congratulations on your 6k 😃🏃🏼‍♀️. That’s a super achievement. I like the way you are thinking about your reduced VO2 max 😆. Mine has also gone down lately 🙄.

[dijep Graduate10]

I was thinking pollen after you mentioned Pine trees, I spotted yesterday my neighbours Yew tree almost bursting with pollen laden flowers.Glad you've got some medication to hand to help control it.

The joys of spring 😊🏃‍♀️👍

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Ah, another fellow sufferer here! Mine is also caused by trees and every year seems to be kicking in earlier. Exactly the same symptoms you describe and every year I think I'm coming down with a cold when they start 🤦‍♀️🤣 It took me a while to work out the best time to take my antihistamines when I go out for a run but once you do, it does make breathing easier.